The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-05-14
OLD FIELD SPORTS.
"Hawking," as Used in the Chase
for Centuries.
English Dogs That Have Followed the
Chase Since the Middle Agcs-The
Hawk After It's Game, the
Wary Heron.

Cnase since the MtuOI0 AgcS-Tn0
Hawk After Its Game, the
Wary Heron.
The English and Americans agree
with the ancients in according high
rank to field sports. The hunting of
savage animals was the highest branch,
for not only skill and courage were
necessary, but great presence Of mind
as well. But it has been left to the
moderns to most thoroughly appreciate
field sports. One reason is they are
better qualified to admire the successful
adaptation of means to an end; and,
secondly, because from their prosperous
condition they are not to any extent
dependent upon the game they kill.
The forest music is to hear the hounds
Rend the thin mir, and with lusty cry
Awake the drowsy echoes and confound
Their perfect language in mingled sound.
Homer gives most graphic descrip-
tion of an archery match, sort of
.'Old Hats pigeon-match. between
Hwo crack shots. Experienced Merton
and skillful Tencer," the Osbaldistone
and Horace Ross, the DR.. Carver and
"Buffalo Bill" of this day, The target
was n milk-white dove, tied by cord
to the top of " tirst-rate gallery. The
prizes were ten double-cdged war;
axes to whoever killed the bird,
and ten single axes to the one who
should divide the cord. The COM
petitors drew lots and Tencer got
the first shot, dividing the cord with
a single arrow. Merton then took aim
and bagged the bird on the wing.
There being no reporters for the daily
press present at this remarkable match,
we shall be compelled to take Homers
word, unsupported, for the accuracy of
tho statement.
In ancient times the bow, of course,
was the chief implement of war and the
chase, and by the expertness of the bold
arches has often decided the fate of bat
ties and of empires. To an improve
mcnt of the weapon termed the cross
bow our hardy forefathers were princi-
pally indebted for their famous victories
at Agincourt, Cressy and Poltiers.
Hence the English archers became the
~most renowned in all Europe. Previous
to the invention of firearms and gun
powder the bow formed the almost uni
versal weapon in the forest and in the
field. 1t appears that the cross-bow
was introduced in England by William
the Conqueror. An act made in the
fifth year of the reign of Edward Nv.
directs that every Englishman have a
bow of his own height, of yew, ash,
hazel, or auburn; that butts shall be
made in every township, which the in
habitants are to shoot at every feast
day under the penalty of a half-penny
when they shall omit this exercise.
Several other statutes were made in
succeeding reigns for the promotion of
archery; and in the eighth year of
Charles I. a commission was issued by
the King to the Chancellor, Lord Mayor
and several of tho Privy Council, to
prevent the fields near London being
inclosed, $50 rs to interrupt the neces-
sary and profitable exercise of shoot
ing;" and also to lower the mounds
where they prevented the view from,
one to another. In 1853 targets were
erected in the Finsbury fields during
}Easter and Whitsun holidays, when the
best shooter was made captain and the
second best lieutenant.
Dogs We're used in the chase rs far
back as we have any records of field
sports. In quaint volume printed in
1860 ;s found curious account of the
varieties Of British dogs tsst are to be
met with in England They are emu
meratcd as follows: The "terrare,
harier, bludhunde, gasehunde, gre.
hunde, leoire or lyemmer, tumbler,
spaniel, setter, water spaniel or fynder,
shepherds dog, massive or band dog,
turne spit, Ounce" The terrare is
probably the progenitor of our terrier.
1t is described rs small kind of hound
used to force the fox and other animals
out of their holes The harier was used
for hunting the hare. The bludhunde
or sluthhund was Of great use and held
in high esteem among our ancestors
1t was remarkable then as now for it
acuteness Of scent, tracing any wounded
large game that had escaped thehunter
and following the trail of the marauder
no matter how great the distance. il
was of great service on the borders ol
Scotland and England when the raid'
x6f outlaws upon the herds and flock'
were frequent and disastrous. They
were also used by Wallace and Bruce
during the civil wars. g
The gasehound was very quick ant
intelligent. 1t was able to select from
tho herd the fattest and finest deer
pursue it closely, and ii lost for a tim
recover it and again pick, 1t out from
the herd which It had rejoined. Thi
species Is now unknown. The gro
hund was the first in rank among dogs
us appears by the forest laws of Canute
who enacted that ''no person. excep
he be Of the degree Of gentleman
shall presume to keep one" which i
consistent with the old Welsh sayins
which signifies that you may know
gentleman by his horse, his hawk AM
his greyhound. Notwithstanding it
high rank, Froissart makes mention Q
this fact, not much to the credit of tn
fidelity of the species: "When that un
happy prince, Richard the Second, wa
taken to Flint castle, his favorite grey
hound immediately deserted him, an
fawned upon his rival Bolipgbroke a